The first wines produced in the Napa Valley provide a striking contradiction to the county's current reputation. There was no Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir, only fields upon fields of Mission Grapes. Named for the Christian missionaries who cultivated the grapes for ceremonial wine, the first orchards were a haphazard tangle of vines that resulted in each bottle containing an impossible-to-decipher mix of grapes.

More than 200 years later, wine in Napa Valley is a religious experience in a different sense. Having eschewed its literal religious affiliations during the region’s commercial settlement throughout the nineteenth century, there is still a certain reverence around the wine and the wine culture of the northern Californian county.

With nearly 500 wineries dotting the 30-mile long vale, finding the perfect place to host your trip to Napa Valley is a daunting task. As varied as the crops surrounding them, Napa's lodgings can provide the intimacy of a bed and breakfast or the most luxurious boutique spa and hotel experience. If you’re looking to experience the relaxing extravagance of the latter, allow us to help shorten your search by introducing you to Bardessono, California’s only Platinum LEED Certified hotel. A restaurant, spa, and hotel, the Yountville property’s sustainable design boasts large, open concept suites with private patios. Upon request, rooms are transformed into personal massage parlours by a Spa Butler, who can arrange a massage table and draw a candle lit, essential oil-infused bath with a moments notice.

Alongside the spa’s broad offering of luxurious, natural treatments, Bardessono’s Lucy Restaurant and Bar offers a mostly organic, locally-sourced, seasonal menu. Guests can choose to indulge in their meals (prepared using ingredients from Bardessono’s on-site garden) in the modern dining room, the privacy of their own suite, or even poolside.

And while hiding away in an expansive suite and lounging by the pool sounds like a worthy vacation, a stay at Bardessono can only be enhanced by an always changing calendar of activities. The resort keeps it relaxed with weekly wine tasting at Lucy, yoga twice a week, and a fleet of the latest Lexus models, available for guests to test drive. The front desk will happily arrange for you to spend a few hours or even the entire day away from the estate on a guided Napa Valley Bike Tour that winds through wineries.

Offering the perfect balance of adventure and relaxation, you’ll never get restless, whether you’re just dropping in for the weekend or indulging in a full-fledged getaway.